Tuesday, August 7, 2007

A LITTLE HISTORY OF MY BARRIO CLANTON!

History Of The Clanton 14th.Street Barrio

 

 

~~WS'ES'~~

CLANTON 14ST.

~~rifa~~

 

 

 



 

 

 

 



 

 

 







 

o.g.

clantoneros 

from back in day



 

more pictures to come.....

The word CLANTON means in 2 parts: CLAN= A United Group of People and TON= A Great Quantity.
            This is the History of our beloved Barrio According to the Veteranos from our Barrio and documented facts. The CLANTON Barrio has been around since the early 1900’s. There are some Barrios that claim that they are the oldest Barrio in L.A. We do not claim that, but we do know that we are one of the oldest and first Barrios in L.A.
             During the turn of the 20th Century many immigrants from Mexico and 1st generations of Mexicans from other states were moving into Southern California and they were settling predominantly in the Downtown South Central Los Angeles area. During these times many things were happening in this country, WWI was over and the great Depression was upon us. During this time is when the Barrio CLANTON started off of a street called CLANTON STREET in the Central L.A. area. This street is no longer called CLANTON STREET it is now called 14th Place (See Map).
The following are testimonies from a couple of Veteranos from the Barrio.
               The homeboy Richy from the 1st hood: “ I’ve been from CLANTON since 1969 and I remember my grandfather telling me that when he came to L.A. in 1926 from New Mexico and he moved to Central L.A. that CLANTON STREET was already out. He used to tell me about how the homeboys used to hang out by a bar close to where he worked. He was a very honest man and hard workingman he was married to my grandmother for 70years before he died a few years back at the age of 96. When he found out I was from CLANTON he couldn’t believe we were still around. My uncles were from CLANTON before they were drafted to go to WWII. I’m one of many veteranos from the barrio still around that had the privilege of seeing and living in L.A. when CLANTON was by far the biggest Barrio in the whole Southland and maybe the country. Our territory stretched from Central Downtown, West to Crenshaw (approx. 4 miles) and from Beverly (North) to about Adams (South) that was about 12 square miles of territory with no other gang insight. 18st. was a small clica at the time; they hung out where they started on the corner of 18st and Arapahoe St. I know cause I was there when they were a part of our Barrio when they wanted to call themselves CLANTON 18st, but the older homeboys told them NO and they broke off of our Barrio and everyone knows the rest. During the 1970’s Hollywood CLANTON held down every school and every parque in the Hollywood area. Between 1976 and 1977 there were almost 100 CLANTONEROS and CLANTONERAS in Hollywood High. We later took over North Hollywood in the valle and they also were very strong and they are still holding their own. EASTSIDE CLANTON’S territory started from the 10 freeway to Santa Barbara (Now Martin Luther King Blvd) and before my time they stretched all the way to the L.A. River because that’s where CLANTON STREET ended before it was changed. The older homeboys back then said that when they built the 10 freeway they cut our barrio in half WESTSIDE and EASTSIDE. My Homeboy Big Pajaro (R.I.P) grandmother’s brother was from CLANTON tambien. I haven’t seen him in over 10 years and I don’t even know if he is still alive.  But he was about 70 years old at the time and what I remember about him is that he didn’t agree that we added the 14 STREET to the barrio because in his days it was just CLANTON STREET”. CLANTON 14th STREET started way before the 13 meant sur and 14 meant norte. This is where many youngsters nowadays get confused when they see C14. They think that CLANTON is a norteno barrio and this is not true. The CLANTON barrio started in Los Angeles and has spread to many other states.
 
                 CLANTON HISTORY   by  BIG ANGEL

HISTORY OF BARRIO CLANTON  ~  14TH STREET

 PART I.

“WS CLANTON 14 STREET  ~ THE FIRST HOOD”

LET ME START BY DESCRIBING BARRIO CLANTON’S FIRST HOOD TERRITORY AS IT STOOD IN THE 1960’S. IN 1967 MY FAMILIA MOVED INTO THE WS C14TH STREET 1ST HOOD AND WE LIVED IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING ON BURLINGTON STREET BETWEEN PICO AND 14TH STREET. IN THE 1960’S THE BOUNDARIES OF WS CLANTON’S FIRST HOOD STRETCHED FROM OLYMPIC BLVD. ON THE NORTH, HOOVER STREET ON THE WEST, THE SANTA MONICA FREEWAY ON THE SOUTH, AND FIGUEROA STREET ON THE EAST.  14TH STREET RAN EAST TO WEST STRAIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE HOOD. THIS AREA OF LOS ANGELES IN NOW WELL KNOWN AS THE CRIME RIDDEN AND GANG INFESTED PICO UNION DISTRICT. BACK IN THE DAYS THERE WAS NO CONVENTION CENTER BETWEEN THE HARBOR FREEWAY AND FIGUEROA. IT WAS ALL HOMES, APARTMENTS, BUSINESSES, THE GEORGIA STREET POLICE STATION AND IT WAS WHERE THE HOMIES LIVED. BUT IN THE LATE 1960’S EVERYTHING WAS GRADUALLY TORN DOWN TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER. SOME OF THE HOMIES FAMILIAS THAT LIVED IN THAT PART OF THE HOOD MOVED WEST OF THE HARBOR FREEWAY AND OTHER CLANTON FAMILIA’S MOVED TO OTHER CITIES IN LA COUNTY SUCH AS HUNTINGTON PARK. I STILL REMEMBER WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND ME AND THE OTHER HOMIES FROM THE PEEWEES CLIQUE USED TO HANG OUT THERE GETTING LOCOTE. BACK IN THE DAYS WE USED TO GET LOCOTE SNIFFING GLUE AND PINTURA, SMOKING YESCA, AND TAKING DOWNERS - REDS, YELLOW JACKETS, AND RAINBOWS. DOWNERS WERE SOME STRONG KICK ASS PILDORAS AND A LOT OF HOMIES USED TO GET REAL LOCOTE AND OVERDOSE ON THEM.

PART II.

~ WS CLANTON 14 TH STREET  ~  CLIQUES & FAMILIAS~

 BACK IN THE DAYS THE WS CLANTON 14 TH STREET FIRST HOOD WAS MADE UP OF SIX DIFFERENT CLIQUES AND THE CLIQUES WERE BASED ON AGE AND RANK. MORE OR LESS HERE ARE THE AGES OF THE HOMIES FOR EACH CLIQUE.

PEEWEES : AGE 10 TO 13

TINY LOCOS : AGE 14 TO 15

DUKES : AGE 16 TO 17

MIDGETS : AGE 18 TO 20

CUT DOWNS : 21 TO MID 20’S

VETERANOS: THE OG’S FROM THE HOOD, LATES 20’S AND UP

 THE WS CLANTON FIRST HOOD WAS A VERY CLOSE KNIT   BARRIO WITH MANY LARGE FAMILIAS WHO ALL KNEW EACH OTHER AND THEY WERE ALL CLANTONEROS.

THE FOLLOWING FAMILIAS ALL HAD 4 OR 5 BROTHERS PLUS CARNALITAS WHO WHERE CLANTONEROS:

 LOS PALACIOS

LOS HERNANDEZ’ES

LOS RAMIREZ’ES

LOS MARTUS’ES

LOS CARRASCO’S

LOS NAVARRO’S

LOS HUERTADOS

LOS ORNELAS’ES

LOS RODRIGUEZ’ES

LOS CABALLERO’S

LOS ORTIZ’S

PART III.

~ CLANTON 14TH STREET ~ INITIATION, RANK, & STRIPES

YOUNGSTERS COURTED INTO THE HOOD WERE INITIATED INTO THE PEEWEES BY THROWING DOWN TOE TO TOE, FACE TO FACE, GOING UP FIST TO FIST AGAINST ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE HOMIES FROM THE PEEWEES. IT WAS STRAIGHT UP STREET FIGHTING AND YOU HAD TO REPRESENT YOURSELF AND SHOW YOU HAD CORAZON, HUEVOS, AND FIGHTING SKILLS IN ORDER TO BE ACCEPTED AS A HOMIE AND GIVEN THE PRIVELIGE TO REPRESENT THE CLANTON GANG AND UPHOLD THE HOOD’S TRADITIONS AND REPUTATION. AS A HOMIE MOVED UP THE RANKS, HOMIES MADE THEIR NAME, AND EARNED THEIR REPUTATION AND STRIPES BY HOW THEY THREW DOWN WHEN THE HOMIES COURTED THEM INTO THEIR CLIQUE AND BY PUTTING IN WORK IN BATTLES WITH ENEMY HOODS. 

 ABOUT EVERY 2 YEARS OR SO IT WAS TIME TO MOVE UP THE RANKS AND GO THROUGH THE RITUAL OF BEING COURTED AND INITIATED INTO THE NEXT CLIQUE. BEING A CLANTONERO AND LIVING THE CLANTON VIDA IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT MOLDS A HOMIE INTO AN OLD SCHOOL CHOLO, A HARD CORE G, A HOMIE THAT LOVES TO PUT IN WORK, A HOMIE WHO NEVER RANKS OUT , AND A HOMIE WITH BATTLE SCARS FROM SHANKS, BATS, AND GUNSHOTS. FOR ME IT ALSO INCLUDED BEING A HOMIE WHO BECAME INSTITUTIONALIZED AFTER DOING 15 YEARS IN THE PINTA ON AN OLD ISL LIFE SENTENCE. FOR ALL CLANTONEROS IT MEANS BEING A HOMIE WHO WILL  REPRESENT CLANTON HASTA LA MUERTE JUST LIKE ALL THEIR OTHER HOMIES WHO WERE SCHOOLED AND CAME UP THE  SAME WAY, THE PROPER WAY, REPRESENTING THE  CLANTON  FAMILIA WITH PRIDE AND GENUINE OLD SCHOOL GANGSTER STYLE.

PART IV.

~ CLANTON 14TH STREET ~ DUKES CLIQUE HISTORY

THE DUKES:

THE DUKES CLIQUE WAS STARTED IN THE WS C14 ST  FIRST HOOD IN THE LATE 1960’2 BY THE HOMIE BIG HUERO. IN THE 1980’S THE HOMIE BIG HUERO MADE NATIONAL NEWS AFTER HE WENT ON A BANK ROBBERY SPREE IN LA COUNTY. BIG HUERO BECAME KNOWN AS “ THE PAPER BAG BANDIT “ AND HE WAS PUT ON THE WORLD NEWS AFTER HIS BANK ROBBERIES TOTALED MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS. A REWARD WAS OFFERED FOR HIS ARREST AND SOON AFTERWARD SOMEONE GAVE HIM UP FOR THE REWARD. BIG HUERO WAS ARESTED, CONVICTED, AND SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON AND HE IS STILL IN THE FEDS SERVING TIME FOR A PAROLE VIOLATION OF HIS ORIGINAL BANK ROBBERY CONVICTION. I STILL REMEMBER IT WAS EITHER 1982 OR 1983 AND I WAS LAYING ON MY BUNK IN MY CELL ON THE 4TH TIER IN SAN QUENTIN PRISON AND THE HOMIE TOPO YELLED AT ME FROM HIS CELL TO PUT THE CHANNEL 4 WORLD NEWS ON MY TV BECAUSE THE HOMIE BIG HUERO WAS BEING AIRED. ALL I COULD THINK WAS THAT AT LEAST HIS TIME IN PRISON WAS NOT GOING TO BE FOR A SMALL NICKLE AND DIME ROBBERY LIKE A LOT OF OTHER FOOLS.

PART V.

~ CLANTON 14 STREET ~ THE HOODS & CLIQUES

THERE ARE FIVE CLANTON HOODS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES.

WS CLANTON 1ST HOOD:

THE WS CLANTON FIRST HOOD IS IN THE PICO AND UNION DISTRICT. HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH ONLY A FEW VETERANO HOMIES CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THE 1ST HOOD, THERE ARE A LOT OF VETERANOS SUCH AS MYSELF STILL MAINTAIN ING THEIR HOMIE TIES, HANGING TOGETHER, AND STILL REPRESENTING CLANTON OG STYLE. PRESENTLY, THE WS CLANTON 1ST HOOD IS MAINLY REPRESENTED BY THE MIDGETS CLIQUE.

WS CLANTON 2ND HOOD:

THE WS CLANTON 2ND HOOD WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED ALONG PICO BLVD BETWEEN NORMANDIE ANDWESTERN AVENUES AND IS NOW FOUND FURTHER WEST IN THE AREA AROUND PICO BLVD AND WILTON AVE.

PRESENTLY, THE WS CLANTON 2ND HOOD IS MAINLY REPRESENTED BY THE CUT DOWNS CLIQUE AND THE CUT DOWNS ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO THE HOOD, THE AMOUNT OF WORK THEIR SOLDIERS PUT IN FOR CLANTON, AND MANY OF THE CUTDOWNS ARE PRESENTLY SERVING LONG PRISON TERMS AND CONFINED IN MAXIMUM SECURITY UNITS IN THE CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON SYSTEM.

WS CLANTON 3RD HOOD:

THE WS CLANTON 3RD HOOD IS LOCATED ALONG MELROSE AVENUE BETWEEN VERMONT AVE. AND STRETCHING WEST TO WESTERN AVENUE. THE 3RD HOOD IS REPRESENTED BY THE DUKES, MOBSTERS, AND LOCOS CLIQUES. THE LOCOS CLIQUE INCLUDES  3RD HOOD VETERANOS ONLY.

THE 3RD HOOD WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE EARLY 1970’S AND WAS THE LARGEST HOOD IN THE EAST HOLLYWOOD AREA DURING THE 70’S AND EARLY 80’S.  THE VETERANO HOMEBOY RATON FROM THE 3RD HOOD WAS THE LEADER AND SHOT CALLER OF THE 3RD HOOD WHEN IT FIRST STARTED OFF. RATON WAS A HOMIE WITH STRONG LEADERSHIP SKILLS, HE WAS A PERSUASIVE RECRUITER, AND HE IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR TURNING THE 3RD HOOD INTO A LARGE AND MIGHTY ARM OF THE CLANTON FAMILY. BACK IN THE DAYS RATON WOULD TAKE HIS 3RD HOOD CLANTON RECRUITS TO MEET AND HANG WITH THE 1ST HOOD CLANTONERS FOR SCHOOLING PURPOSES BECAUSE THE 1ST HOOD CLANTONEROS WERE ALL SEASONED STREET WISE CHOLOS, GANGSTERS, PISTOLEROS, MURDERERS, BANK ROBBERS, DOPE DEALERS, JAIL BIRDS, PINTOS, AND 100% GANGSTERFIED CLANTON THUGS.      

WS CLANTON 4TH HOOD:

THE WS CLANTON 4TH HOOD IS LOCATED IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD IN THE AREA ALONG WHITNALL HIGHWAY BETWEEN OXNARD AND CAHUENGA AVE. THE 4TH HOOD IS PRIMARILY REPRESENTED BY THE TINY LOCOS CLIQUE. THE 4TH HOOD WAS ALSO CREATED IN THE EARLY 1970’S BY THE CUATES FROM THE 2ND HOOD. THE HOMEBOY CUATE R.I.P. AND HIS TWIN BROTHER SANTOS STARTED THE 4TH HOOD DURING THEIR ATTENDANCE AT NORTH HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.  THE4TH HOOD IS WELL KNOWN FOR THE CRAZY ALLEY AND HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING MANY STRONG, WELL SCHOOLED, HARDCORE CLANTONEROS.

 ES CLANTON 14TH STREET:

THE ES CLANTON HOOD IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL AREA OF LOS ANGELES IN THE AREA CONCENTRATED ALONG SAN PEDRO, TRINITY, AND MAPLE STREETS BETWEEN KING BLVD. AND STRETCHING NORTHWARD PAST JEFFERSON BLVD. BACK IN THE DAYS ES CLANTON REACHED ALL THE WAY NORTHWARD TO WASHINGTON BLVD. THE ES CLANTON HOOD IS LOCATED IN A WAR ZONE AND IS SURROUNDED BY MANY START UP HOODS FULL OF YOUNGSTERS WHO DON’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR ASS AND THEIR BRAINS AND ONLY CARE ABOUT MAKING A NAME AND REPUTATION FOR THEIR NEW CLIQUE. THE ES CLANTONEROS ARE REPRESENTED BY THE PEEWEES, LOS JOKERS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD GANGSTER CLIQUES, AND THEY ARE ALL BATTLE HARDENED DIE HARD SOLDIERS WHO SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN, THEY ALWAYS GO TO SLEEP WITH A FULLY LOADED 9MM PISTOLA UNDER THEIR PILLOW, THEY NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT BEING HEATED, AND THEIR TRIGGER FINGER ALWAYS TWITCHES EVEN WHEN THEY SLEEP. THE EASTSIDE CLANTONEROS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF PRODUCING THE STRONGEST GHETTO SOLDIERS WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED TO LIVING LIFE IN THE BATTLEFIELD AND THEY ALWAYS FILL THEIR CAR TRUNKS AND PICNIC BASKETS WITH SMITH &WESSON SANDWICHES, 9 MM BOWLS FULL OF GLOCK –A –MOLE, BAGS OF BULLET CHIPS, AND CASES OF CORONAS.

 TO BE CONTINUED.......